


Brothers And Burdens

by Lumelle



Series: Silver Bells, Golden Bells [4]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Courtesans, M/M, Nwalin Week, Protective Siblings, Siblings, sibling argument
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 06:42:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6970402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ori finds out what Nori has done, he is less than pleased. However, Nori will not back down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brothers And Burdens

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Nwalin Week 2016, for the prompt "Flirting/Fighting".
> 
> **Please note** that this story features negative attitudes and language towards sex workers, both present and discussed. There are also fears (though not actual instances) of abuse of power and of someone being taken advantage of due to their financial situation. Please read accordingly.

Frankly, when Ori came storming in to the rooms Nori shared with Dwalin, the greatest surprise was that it hadn't happened sooner.

Nori was aware of the whispers, of course, knew they had launched the moment he first walked out in public with a golden bell hanging off one intricate braid, if they hadn't already been there before simply by virtue of his being a Ri. And if there were whispers, they were always going to eventually catch up to Ori.

His little Ori, who had grown up in exile, Ori who had heard all the ugly words and insults and never the tinkling of golden bells in one of the most prosperous guild halls in all of Erebor.

"What," Ori demanded, his voice quivering with righteous anger, "do you think you are doing?!"

"What do you mean?" Nori lifted an eyebrow. "I was enjoying a pipe, as a matter of fact, until just now. Wasn't aware that was forbidden." Now, he rather suspected he should not hope for finishing said pipe.

"You know damn well that's not what I mean!" Ori was fuming now. Really, with all this, it was a miracle he hadn't come in earlier.

Well. Unless it had taken him this long to find someone to explain what exactly the bell in Nori's hair signified. That was entirely possible.

"Then what is it? I wasn't aware I have done anything recently to merit yelling." Two weeks ago was not recent at all, was it?

"As though you don't know." Nori wasn't sure what was shaking more, Ori's voice or his hands. "How can you just sit here as though nothing's wrong when you're — you're selling yourself?"

"I'm selling my services, thank you very much. I have no intention of giving up possession of myself, however temporarily." Nori set his pipe aside with some regret, standing up from his seat. "But yes, I am under contract to Dwalin, if that's what you mean."

"Have you absolutely no shame left?" The look in Ori's eyes cut deeper than Nori would have liked to admit, hurt and shame and anger all bundled up into one little ball of rage. "It's bad enough you're a thief and a liar, and now you have to go and make yourself a whore?"

"You will not use that word." That, he would not back down on. "Not unless you wish to be the son of a whore."

"You're lying." Why did Ori not sound so convinced?

"Why would I lie? It's a matter of public record, even if the records are long lost to fire and dust. Our mother was a full member of the Confidantes' Guild, and so were Dori and I. Nothing shameful about that." Well, to be precise, he had never been a full member, had never had the time to earn his golden bells, but as Dwalin had said there were none left to protest his choice to wear them.

"You're bedding someone for money! How is that anything but shameful?"

"Perhaps if we were men, it might be." Not that it was only about sex, but he hardly thought that point would sink in to Ori. "But we are dwarves, and before the dragon came the Confidantes' Guild was one of the most influential guilds in all of Erebor. Do you really think Dwalin the Kingsguard would be so open about it if it were a shame or a crime? That Thorin would just nod and say it's good he finally found himself some company?" Not that Nori hadn't been relieved when that had turned out to be the case. Thorin had grown up in old Erebor, yes, but he had lived in exile most of his life, and for all his pride he was more concerned than most about other races looking down on them. Thankfully, that concern did not seem to extend to forsaking their old customs, not in this at least.

"Then just — just do it somewhere out of sight!" Right, because that was the solution. "Just don't drag me into it! I don't want anything to do with this — this arrangement of yours."

"A bit too late for that, poppet." And oh, he knew he was being cruel, but he didn't care just now, because Ori was being crueler. "How exactly do you think Dori paid for your apprenticeship?"

Ori stepped back as though he'd been slapped, and Nori almost regretted his words. Almost. "No."

"Oh, yes." Nori stepped forward in response, closing the gap again. "Because Balin knows goods and services, and Dori knows what his skills are worth. Sure he paid in coin where he could, but when he couldn't he paid in labour, with the skills our own bloody mother taught him. Sometimes he would repair Balin's coat, and sometimes he would sit with Balin for a lonely evening, and sometimes he would suck Balin's cock, and neither of them thought any less of the other for it."

"And you think that's something to be proud of?" Ori spat. "You'll stand there and tell me with satisfaction how my master took advantage of my family's poorness, and expect that to make me happier?"

"Who took advantage of anyone? Dori had other options, other masters he could have found for you, but he wanted you to have the best so he made his offer to Balin, full well knowing his coin would not be enough. And Balin valued his services in full, I've seen a contract or two between them and Dori's services were priced the same as they were before the dragon, and believe me when I say the price of a Ri in Erebor was very high indeed."

Ori flinched again, and this time there was something entirely else in his eyes. "Oh, yes," he hissed. "I've heard that often enough, thank you. Or didn't you know the only reason I'm friends with Fíli is because he's the only one who can afford my pretty face? Because I've heard that, Nori, more than once, ever since you took to wearing that blasted bell."

"And if any say that in seriousness, or disapprove of you for it, then they are the fools." And would know Nori's knife closely indeed if he ever caught wind of such whispers, but that was not the issue here. "But I'm not responsible for them, and I have no shame in my actions, nor will I let you shame me for them. And if you think it's my bell alone that brought on those whispers, or my breaking the contract and casting the bell aside would end them, then you are more naive than I ever thought."

"Why else would anyone say something so awful about me?" And now Ori was definitely more hurt than angry, but this was one wound Nori could not soothe. "And don't deny it. Even if you and Dori and Thorin himself claim there's no shame in it, it's still awful for them to claim I'd only be friends with someone for my own gain."

"Except that's not what they mean. Not the older ones, anyway, who remember old Erebor." Nori shook his head. "Back in the old days, hiring a confidante was a point of pride, hiring a good one even more so. They had friends and they had lovers, and nobody would deny that, but their time was that of their guild so even the close ones would have to pay. Many of them ended up marrying a regular client, and that doesn't mean their love was bought. You wouldn't think it shameful if someone said Fíli paid you to write a tome for him, would it? Because he can be your friend and still value your trade. For confidantes, it is their time and company that come with the trade."

"But I am not a — a confidante! I am a scribe, I wear the braids of a scribe, I have never worn such a bell in my life!"

"You are a Ri." They all were, they always would be, and there was damn well no shame in that. "The young ones may speak cruel words, they might even insult you for my sake, but the old ones know you are a son of Vuori and believe me, that is no insult. She was the grandest in our guild, the next Guildmaster to be sure, she was admired by all for her beauty and wit and knowledge and when she spoke all of Erebor listened. Except then came the dragon, and none had coin for comfort, and then came the exile and our children were taught to see shame in her pride."

"So that's it, then?" And oh, Ori sounded so defeated, so pained, Nori couldn't even hold onto his anger any longer. "Because of what used to be, the old ones will continue to say such things, and then the young ones who know no better will hear and think I'm shameful for something I have never done?"

"Not if I can help it." Because he stood by his decisions, but he also didn't want to bring his brother any more pain. "You can't make the whispers stop, Ori, that is never going to happen. Even if they stopped about this one thing, they would come up with something else, because you are a hero and a friend of nobles and there are always going to be jealous idiots. My wearing or not wearing a bell will not change any of that." Finally, he set a hand on Ori's shoulder. The lad didn't draw away, which was a good thing. "But do you know what can change things? One of the Company wearing the bells. My appearing at the arm of the Captain of the Guard, without shame or secret. The king himself acknowledging a guild long lost to exile. I can't stop the whispers, but I can show to all that there is no shame in where we come from and who we are."

"Are you sure it's all right?" Ori's voice was almost desperate as he looked up to Nori. "That Dwalin thinks the same as you, that he sees pride in it and not shame? That — that Balin wasn't just taking advantage of Dori, and Dori agreeing to it for my sake?"

"Oh, poppet." Nori sighed, drawing Ori into an embrace. "I'm sure of that, I promise you. Because for all my past disagreements with Dwalin, I find the sons of Fundin are honest to a fault, and painfully honourable besides." He paused. "You do know I was already sleeping with Dwalin before any bells or contracts, right?"

"But that's exactly why I don't understand," Ori murmured into his chest. "If you already had that, why would you complicate it with such things?"

"Because it's a promise I can keep." He ran a hand down Ori's back, hoping to calm his brother. "You know me, Ori. You know I get antsy when I stay home too long, you know I don't trust easily. Mahal knows it took me months to trust Dwalin enough to allow him into my bed, after the history we'd had. I can't promise him courtship braids or pretty words, not now, maybe not ever. But for now, I can promise him a month at a time, a month where I am his and he is mine, and if some day it gets too much to bear I'll be free to go at the end of that month." Nori shook his head. "I'm a broken dwarf in many ways, poppet, and I've done many things that might bring me or my family shame, but entering a contract with him and sticking to it is not something I will allow myself to regret."

Ori was quiet for a while, clinging to the front of Nori's tunic. Finally he spoke, his voice a little muffled. "Did you at least have a proper legal scribe go over the contract? You didn't just write it on the back of a napkin after a drunken night, did you?"

Nori snorted. "Have some faith in me at least, little brother. We had Dori oversee the negotiations as a representative of the guild, and the contract was built on the old guild stipulations Balin looked up for us. I'm not sure there are currently any two dwarves more qualified in Erebor than those two to make sure everything was above board and proper, certainly not anyone more invested in both of our happiness."

"Right." Ori drew away at last, wiping at his eyes, but there was finally a hint of fire in his expression. "I'm still going to look it over, thank you. And if there's anything in there that doesn't pass muster, you're getting the damn thing fixed before the next term starts. I may still not understand why you would do such a thing, but I'll cut off my own beard before I let you get yourself caught in something disadvantageous."

"As I said, Dori already checked it all, but if it eases your mind, you can look it over." Nori couldn't help but smirk. "You know, if Dori's taken it upon himself to take care of guild responsibilities, he's going to need a proper scribe sooner or later. I'm sure Balin could teach you the basics of it, and you can still work for the guild without wearing the bells yourself."

"Watch it." Ori didn't seem quite so likely to blow up on him anymore, though, so that was a small victory. "I'll soon do just that, if any others show up who wish to wear the bells, and do you really want to think of me discussing the details of someone's bedroom dealings?"

"Oh, I don't know." He'd earned a bit of teasing, for sure. "Might make you a bit more prepared for dealing with your princeling."

He might have expected Ori to get embarrassed, to accuse him of being horrible. And indeed, Ori's cheeks glowed with a fluster, but he met Nori's gaze head on. "If there ever is cause for negotiations there, there damn well won't be any witnesses and paperwork," he announced. "Can you imagine Dori taking Fíli to task over whether he's satisfactory enough or not?"

"Yes," Nori replied without a moment's hesitation. "Yes, I absolutely can." He resisted the urge to ruffle Ori's hair, though only barely. "And it's adorable you think you have any chance of avoiding that if you ever fall in bed with the princeling."

Perhaps Ori was annoyed with him, now, but it was better than the rage and pain of earlier. Oh, Nori did not think for a moment that the situation was resolved so easily, but at least he had some hope Ori wouldn't yell at him again. Well. Not about this, anyway. He was certain he would earn yelling for some other reason soon enough, but that was neither here nor there.

If Dwalin returned that evening to find Ori asleep in Nori's abandoned seat, a half-drunk cup of tea cooling down at his elbow while Nori was working through the latest reports from his rapidly growing information network, at least he knew better than to ask anything beyond whether Ori would be staying the night.


End file.
